1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to intravenous catheters, and more particularly to devices for securing catheters to the location at which the catheter is attached to the patient. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a single piece article functioning to cover and secure a catheter at a location where the catheter has been inserted into the patient's skin, and a method of using the article.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, when a vascular catheter is placed, for example for intravenous administration of fluids, a combined catheter and needle is used to create the vascular puncture after which the needle is removed and the hub of the remaining catheter attached to a source of infusion liquid. Generally, It is necessary to stabilize the catheter in relation to the blood vessel to prevent movement of the catheter to preclude catheter withdrawal, undesirable additional blood vessel punctures and the like. The catheter hub is typically stabilized by taping the hub and associated tube fittings to the patient's skin in the area adjacent the vessel puncture.
Using precautions, such as sterile gloves, while inserting the catheters has made the process of securing these catheters complicated. Indeed, in general, it is difficult to apply sticky tape to the skin while wearing gloves. In addition, the extra movement needed to reach for and to apply such tape risks the loss of the unsecured catheter. This is particularly true where the catheter has been placed in a child. As a result, it is not uncommon for the nurse or medical assistant to be forced to remove the gloves so that the catheter can be secured. Thus, the nurse or medical assistant is left without any protection for himself/herself while attempting to secure the catheter in its proper position.
There have been attempts in the past to address the foregoing problem of stabilization of an inserted needle or catheter immediately following vein puncture.
One approach has been to provide an adhesive surface on the underside of an element bearing wings provided on the catheter hub. Such intravenous needle assemblies are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,236 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,842. A difficulty encountered with such prior art products, however, is that the protective covering for the adhesive on the wings must be removed before the needle is inserted into the vein so that it may be thereafter adhered to the skin surface. Providing an adhesive surface that is exposed before vein puncture, however, risks premature adhesion to the skin and/or adhesion to the medial care provider's gloves.
Another approach has been to provide an anchoring system, including a device that permits a portion of a catheter or similar medical article to be anchored to a patient, preferably without the use of adhesive or needles. The anchoring system includes an anchor pad and a retainer mounted on the anchor pad. The retainer is attached to the anchor pad which includes adhesive for attaching the pad to the patient's skin at the puncture site. A medical article is secured within the channel by capturing and holding a radially extending element on the medical article. One of the notable features of this system is that correct positioning of the catheter relative to the anchoring member can be achieved. However, once the catheter is secured at the site of insertion, there is no cover or protective structure that will prevent the accidental dislodgement of the catheter from the patient's skin.
Also known and considered relevant are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,673,046, 6,770,055, D492,411, 6,689,104, 6,663,600, 6,582,403, 6,572,588, 6,551,285, D470,936, 6,491,664, 6,447,485, 6,428,516, 6,428,515, 6,413,240, 6,361,523, 6,290,676, 6,283,945, 6,224,571, 6,213,979, 6,132,398, 6,117,163, D425,619, 5,947,931, 5,941,263, D404,815, 5,855,591, 5,833,667, 5,827,230, 5,800,402, 5,702,371, 5,693,032 and D377,831.